As America’s national pastime, Major League Baseball has a rich history of tradition, dynasties and all-stars that have often been viewed as heroes. Throughout its storied history there have been no shortage of generation-defining players. Narrowing an all-time team down is realistically impossible with the exception of a few positions, and there is no doubt that A+ talent is missing from this team. This is evidenced by the fact that names like Joe Dimaggio, Warren Spahn, Hank Greenberg, Tris Speaker, Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey, Jr. won’t be found here. Not surprisingly, the Yankees lead the charge here as there is a nice balance of early era and more modern day players. There were only a few present players that were in consideration for a roster spot but ultimately, none made the cut. With a strong finish to his career Mike Trout will undoubtedly crack this list, but at this point in his stellar career we simply couldn’t award him a spot just yet. We’ve crunched numbers, researched baseball experts and sprinkled in a bit of our own wisdom and opinions to develop this squad. With that being said, we love this dream team and could only wish to see this group out on the field.
The BetCrushers All-Time Team:
Starting Pitcher
Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Cy Young
Although our picks for our starting rotation were somewhat easy for us to make, it’s amazing what the top 20 looks like in the history of the game. Just thinking about guys like Steve Carlton, Randy Johnson, Clayton Kershaw and Roger Clemens not even sniffing the spots here says something about our starters. While it’s true that the game of baseball has drastically changed over the years, our pitching staff dates back over 100 years.
We start with our ace, the Washington Senators Walter Johnson who is generally regarded as the best pitcher in the history of the game. Again, the game has changed so we won’t see numbers like this in our lifetimes, but look at some of these: 417 wins and a .217 career ERA with 3,509 strikeouts. The most impressive feat is his 110 shutouts, a mark that is completely insane. He averaged over 25 wins per season and led the league in strikeouts twelve times.
The second and third spots are pretty interchangeable, so we slotted New York Giant Christy Mathewson into the second spot. The Cincinnati Reds traded Mathewson in one of the worst trades in the history of sports which saw him dominate the game from 1900-1916. Some of Mathewson’s accomplishments include a 373-188 record with an ERA of 2.13 and over 2500 strikeouts. In 1908 he set the modern day record with a ridiculous 37 wins. His most impressive stretch occurred in the 1905 World Series where he threw three complete game shutouts in just six days.
That means the third spot belongs to legendary Cleveland and Boston hurler Cy Young. You know when an award is named after you that you’re doing something right and Young was doing right a lot more than he was doing wrong. He holds baseball’s records for wins with 511, struck out 2803 hitters and won 20 games in a season 15 times.
Honorable Mention: Sandy Koufax, Greg Maddux
Relief Pitcher
Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman, Dennis Eckersley
The starting pitchers may be from another era, but with that mentioned changing of the game, the relievers will be a little more recognizable to new fans of the game. As was the case with our starters, we’ve got a trio of right handers in the bullpen, however we’ll take our chances without having a lefty as long as we have these guys dealing heat.
We’ve been fortunate to watch the greatest closer in history throughout an illustrious career in pinstripes as we start with Mariano Rivera. Rivera’s brilliance puts him in the same category as the greatest players in the game as he was a unanimous first ballot Hall of Famer. His trademark “cutter” was practically un-hittable and the feeling of futility by his opponents when he entered the lineup could be seen on their faces. Some resume numbers to be impressed by include owning the best postseason ERA of any pitcher with over 30 innings pitched, 1117 strikouts, and his record 652 saves. That’s over 50 more saves than his next closest peer, who is not surprisingly our second reliever.
That would be 2018 Hall of Fame inductee Trevor Hoffman who played his best years as a closer with the San Diego Padres. Hoffman brought the energy when called into the game, as witnessed with his “Hell’s Bells” entrance music and was consistently strong throughout his career. He’s one of the lesser known “big-time” players on this list but closing out 601 games in his career is good enough to land him here for us.
Our third reliever, Dennis Eckersley, actually began his career as a starting pitcher and is joined by John Smoltz as the only players to ever win 20 games in a season and save 50 games in a season. Eckersley put together 390 saves and 2041 strikeouts in his career and prior to the 21st century was widely regarded as the best reliever in the game. “Eck” was a key cog in the A’s three year World Series run at the end of the 1980’s.
Honorable Mention: Lee Smith, Billy Wagner
Catcher
Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra
Having an elite catcher can be a huge advantage over competing teams in Major League Baseball as our duo here proved anchoring their respective teams to great success. A top-tier catcher needs to not only play great defense and hit the ball consistently, but also handle the pitching staff and be a leader in the clubhouse. The two men behind the plate on our team were in somewhat early pioneers of the position paving the way for the modern day stalwarts of the game.
The Big Red Machine was a remarkable collection of talent that had several cornerstone parts including Pete Rose, Tony Perez and Joe Morgan. It’s debatable that the most important piece of that tremendous roster was their rugged catcher Johnny Bench. At a position that was originally more slanted towards defensive prowess, Bench certainly didn’t disappoint, (he had a career .991 fielding average) however it was his offensive burst and power that really helped him redefine the way the position was played. He spent his entire 17 year career with the Reds and amassed a then catcher record 389 home runs, en route to 14 All-Star game appearances and two Most Valuable Player awards.
Perhaps the most quotable and colorful member of our all-time team, Yogi Berra was a true legend both on the field and off. Yogi’s accomplishments undeniable on paper when you note his 15 All-Star appearances, 3 AL MVP awards and 10 World Series titles anchoring the Yankees throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s. As impressive as those numbers are, his manager Casey Stengel once credited the strong and consistent performance of the Yankee pitching staffs to Berra’s ability to work with them so well. The term “managing a pitching staff” arrived through Berra and Stengel.
Honorable Mention: Ivan Rodriguez, Mike Piazza
First Base
Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx
There have been a long line of really impressive players at the first base position throughout the history of the game, including Hall of Famers from every decade and era. What has traditionally been known as an anchor power-hitting position has not changed much over time as today’s sluggers are often planted at first base. Our first choice for the position was relatively easy, but we had to narrow down the second choice between five potential candidates. Our honorable mention list at first base could be argued at length by baseball fanatics.
The obvious and less debatable choice is one of the game and country’s most recognizable figures, the “Iron Horse”, Lou Gehrig. While his story had a sad ending and his legacy lives on today through the debilitating ALS disease named after him, it was his play for the Yankees that makes him an easy choice. How about a career .340 batting average, 493 home runs and just shy of 2,000 RBI’s for starters? Throw in a couple of MVP awards and winning the Triple Crown and it results in being the first player in thehistory of the game to have his number officially retired. His record of consecutive games played at 2,130 stood for nearly six decades and playing alongside some of the games greats he was a member of six World Series championship teams.
One of Gehrig’s opponents who also played third base and even catcher takes the other spot at first base where he played predominantly, “The Beast”, Jimmie Foxx. Foxx began his career at just 17 years of age, and was considered a bit of a genetic freak for the era and famed pitcher Lefty Gomez once noted that he was so strong he had muscles in his hair. He was the second player, shortly after Babe Ruth to eclipse the 500 home run mark and finished his career with 536 dingers in addition to his .325 average. Three MVP awards and a streak of twelve years with 30+ home runs and 100+ RBI’s sealed the deal for us in earning his place among the best of the best.
Honorable Mention: Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera
Second Base
Rogers Hornsby, Joe Morgan
The one of the tougher selections for our list was not awarding a position to the game-changing Jackie Robinson who many would argue needs to be here. There is no doubt what his impact on the game has been, but we just couldn’t get him into the starting lineup compared with our two selections. We’ve got an early pioneer of the game and a second member of the 1970’s Big Red Machine playing two-bag.
If you haven’t studied up on Rogers Hornsby, spend a minute to check him out as he’s one of the more interesting characters that has played in MLB. He was known to gamble regularly on horses and cards, and it was widely known that he was a very difficult player to get along with as teammates frequently complained about him. Quite the opposite of Jackie Robinson, but when you look at his accomplishments, you’ll see why we rolled with him. His career batting average of .358 places him second all-time behind only Ty Cobb and that included a remarkable three seasons eclipsing the .400 mark, with a ridiculous high of .424. Hornsby won two MVP awards and two Triple Crown awards and is the only player to have a season hitting over .400 with over 40 home runs.
We mentioned Johnny Bench perhaps being the key cog in the Reds teams of the 1970’s, but during their back to back World Series Championships in 1975 and 1976 it was Joe Morgan who statistically paced the team. Not only did he win back to back MVP awards, but long-time manager Sparky Anderson was quoted as saying he never saw a player perform better in a season than Morgan did in 1975. Morgan was strong defensively winning five gold gloves with the Reds, and was considered one of the most efficient offensive players with a great OPS, and his athleticism was often on display as he swiped 689 bases in his career. At times Morgan was flashy, but more often than not, he was just a consistently great baseball player who knew what plays needed to be made when, and then executed that plan.
Honorable Mention: Jackie Robinson, Nap Lajoie
Shortstop
Honus Wagner, Cal Ripken, Jr.
No position has evolved more in Major League Baseball throughout its history more than shortstop. In early years the focus of the SS was primarily to be a defensive stalwart, and if they were able to get on base that was an added bonus. Today’s shortstops are still expected to play solid defense, but additionally, they are often just as skilled at the plate as their peers on the corners. When ranking our players, Alex Rodriguez routinely kept popping up with his enormous power numbers. But we opted to go a different direction, and not really because of his “asterisks” of play. We want crunch-time grinders at the position and these two guys give us just that.
Honus Wagner is probably most well known for his T206 1909-1911 baseball card which has been sold for over $3.12 million dollars as recently as 2016. In order to fetch that value though, Wagner had to first be a legendary player primarily at the shortstop position. Nicknamed “The Flying Dutchman” for his speed and German heritage, Wagner played his entire career (basically) with the Pittsburgh Pirates and was part of the original Hall of Fame baseball class with Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth. Wagner racked up a record eight batting titles, a record that has stood for over a hundred years, until Tony Gwynn was able to tie him. In addition to his strong slugging, he led the league in stolen bases five times making him one of the most complete and athletic players to ever play the game.
If you talk with baseball historians, you’ll find that Cal Ripken, Jr. is one of the more polarizing players in their eyes. Some pundits have Ripken as one of the true idols of the game, while others list him as a mediocre and often overrated talent. We fall somewhere in the middle, but definitely slated more towards a legend of the game. Yes, it’s true that Ripken’s 19 All-Star appearances were all possibly not deserved, and some of his career stats are due to his longevity, but you simply can’t discredit that. Of course Cal is known for breaking Lou Gehrig’s streak of games played, crushing the mark and ending with 2,632, but he really was a stalwart during most of that stretch. A member of both the 3,000 hit club and 400 home run club, he captured two AL MVP awards and also won a couple of Gold Gloves for good measure. No argument from the BetCrushers if you opt for someone else at SS, but we’ll take Cal Ripken, Jr. every day of the week and feel pretty good about it.
Honorable Mention: Ernie Banks, Derek Jeter
Third Base
Mike Schmidt, Eddie Mathews
The hot corner, much like first base, is often staffed by strong power hitters who anchor lineups and are expected to drive in runs. Surprisingly, there are only a handful of players that truly have played the position at a high level for their entire career to give them consideration for these slots.
We reserved the first spot for Philadelphia Phillies slugger Mike Schmidt who is generally regarded as the best ever to play the position. In his 18 seasons in Philly he found his way onto twelve All-Star teams and won the NL MVP award three times in the 1980’s en route to being name the player of the decade by the Sporting News. While he was best known for his power hitting, crushing 548 home runs leading the National League eight times in the category, he was no slouch playing defense ever.
Much like at shortstop the second spot becomes a lot tougher to definitively lock so after much deliberation we settled ever so slightly on Eddie Mathews. Mathews is one of the quieter or lesser known names on our All-Time Team, especially when compared to the fiery George Brett or more recent Chipper Jones. However he has some unique distinctions that place him in baseball lore including being on the very first cover of Sports Illustrated in 1954 and one of the first hitters to have opposing defenses “shift” to take away his pull hitting. Mathews smooth swing is often considered to be one of the purest and sweetest in the game’s history as he almost effortlessly slugged his way to 512 career home runs. His World Series numbers are marginal to be kind, but he did hit a crucial 10th inning bomb in game 4 of the 1957 World Series against the Yankees propelling them to victory.
Honorable Mention: George Brett, Chipper Jones
Left Field
Ted Williams, Stan Musial
If there is a such thing as a 1 and a 1a on the list it would have to be residing in left field here. Depending on the day of the week you catch us on, the BetCrushers could flip-flop these two on a whim as the case could be made for either to be the best at their position. At the left field position, you really need to evaluate all different types of players, such as speedsters like Rickey Henderson, and mashers like all-time Home Run leader Barry Bonds. Asterisk or not, he has to at least be in the discussion. Ultimately we went with 1940’s and 50’s era players Ted Williams and Stan Musial.
The legacy of Ted Williams is astonishing if you think about what he accomplished in his life both on and off the diamond. We’ll touch on some of his accomplishments in a second, but we have to recognize that “Teddy Ballgame” was largely away from the game between 1942-1945 due to being drafted in World War II. Despite that fact, Williams still managed to bang out 521 home runs in just 7706 at-bats and a career average of .344. He was the last player to average over .400 in a season hitting .406 in 1941 and his .482 on-base percentage is the highest mark in the history of the game. Between his accomplishments on and off the field he was awards the highest honor of the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George H.W. Bush in 1991.
Like Ted Williams, Stan Musial also had to place his career on a brief pause when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1945 and spent a year and a half in non-combat duty. Also like Williams, Musial was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 by Barack Obama. Before and after his stint in the Navy, “Stan the Man” was busy tearing up the National League with the St. Louis Cardinals. Let’s check the stats: A career .331 hitter with 3,630 hits and 475 home runs, Musial was a three time MVP and and led the Cards to three World Series Championships. Musial played in a shared record of 24 All-Star games and was the model of consistent play throughout his career. Despite all of his accolades, it’s possible that Musial may be the most underrated player in the history of the game.
Honorable Mention: Barry Bonds
Center Field
Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle
As we mentioned at the top of the article, it’s very possible that in a handful of years there could be a new player perched upon the top of this list. Mike Trout is on track to potentially be the best center fielder ever with a few more great seasons and we want to recognize that here. With that in mind, we have to go off of what information and tangible results we have presently, and that doesn’t include him. The cream of the crop at center field is so stacked that even a 600+ home run and gold glover like Ken Griffey, Jr. couldn’t make the final cut.
There are a handful of baseball historians who will tell you that Willie Mays is the best player in the history of the game. We aren’t quite there, but a position starting in CF is definitely merited. Top to bottom he may be the top five-tool player the league has seen as his defense and athleticism are on par with his offensive prowess. One of the 24 time All-Stars, Mays was strong throughout his career including having 50+ home run seasons over a decade a part. He finished his career with a record 12 Gold Glove Awards, 660 home runs, a .302 batting average and 3,283 hits. Add in a couple of NL MVPs, and leading the league four times in homers and another four times in stolen bases. His iconic over the shoulder catch against a deep Vic Wertz shot in game one of the 1954 World Series is regarded as one of the most recognizable plays in history. No matter what was needed, Mays had the skill set to make it happen.
The best switch-hitter in the game, Mickey Mantle, edges out Ty Cobb and Mike Trout for the other spot. The “Mick” was the epitome of clutch coming up big in the postseason and seemingly never letting the pressure of big moments get to him. Following on the heels of Yankee legend Joe Dimaggio, Mantle had big shoes to fill and did so admirably. Mantle was known for his tale of the tape monster home runs, 536 for his career, but he was equally as good hitting for average with just below a .300 mark. As a sixteen time All-Star his best season came in 1956 when he won the Triple Crown. A somewhat unknown fact about Mantle is he was a very successful base stealer claiming over 75% of his attempts. Playing in 12 World Series in was was basically a 16 year career, Mickey’s Yankees won 7 of them and he still holds WS records that stand today.
Honorable Mention: Ty Cobb
Right Field
Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron
As was the case with left and center field, right field has some serious talent to select from in the top ten. Included here is arguably the game’s biggest icon and greatest player of all time George Herman (Babe) Ruth who is our sure pick for the top spot. The second spot was a lot tougher, and although there are probably three or four candidates, it’s really hard to argue too much against putting Hank Aaron there.
There isn’t much we can tell you about Babe Ruth that you haven’t already heard in regards to his baseball lore. A successful pitcher turned slugger, his career took off after an unfortunate trade from Boston to the New York Yankees. Slugging 714 home runs he ignited the live ball era leading the AL 12 times in the category and .342 career batting average. As a pitcher he was an impressive 94-46 with a 2.28 era. Ruth was really the first athlete in America to transcend sport and become a cultural celebrity and icon. If you’re looking for a good book to read check out “The Big Bam – The Life and Times of Babe Ruth” by Leigh Montville. The stories and folklore of Ruth are so phenomenal it’s almost as if he were a fictional character.
If 714 home runs from Ruth aren’t enough in right field we give you Henry (Hank Aaron) who surpassed the sacred record and finished his career with 755 dingers. Like Musial and Mays, Aaron was also a 24 time All-Star (he was actually selected 25 times) with a career that was a model of consistency and excellence. Hitting 30 home runs in a season fifteen times, he slugged at least 24 home runs from 1955 through 1973. In addition to the power he also finished his career with over 3700 hits and a .305 average and nearly 2,300 RBIs while bringing in the NL MVP in 1957. Lost in his offensive talents is the fact he was also a strong defensive right fielder capturing three Gold Glove Awards. Hank Aaron had what could be considered a “very good” season for his entire career placing him among the all-time greats.
Honorable Mention: Roberto Clemente
The BetCrushers are dedicated to finding value in sports betting but we enjoy some good rankings and debate as much as anyone. Have a beef with our list? Fire us a message and let us know. Follow us on Twitter @TheBetCrushers
